Apparatus for turning cigarettes right side up as they are fed to the packing machine



June 9,- 1931. M. BERGER 1,809,189

A APPARATUS FOR TURNINGHCIGARET'IES RIGHT SIDE UP As THEY ARE FED TO THEPACKING MACHINE Original Filed July 1,1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 9,-1931. M. BERGER 1,809,1

APPARATUS FOR TURNING CIGARETTES RIGHT SIDE UP AS THEY ARE FED TOITHEPACKING MACHINE Original Filed 'July 1, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig; 1.

Patented June 9, 1931 UNITED STATES MARTIN 'BERGER, .OF 1FREIT'AL-DEUBEN', NEAR DRESDEN,,1-GERMANY, ."AQSSIGN'OR To TUNITEDGIGARETTE' MACHINE COMPANY .AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT', v01E 1DRESDEN',

GERMANY APPARATUS non TURNING. CIGARETTES RIGHT 'sI-DE UP AS THEY :AREFED mo 1TH}?! PACKING MACHINE this application filed May 29, 1930.SerialNo. 457,451.

device is held by means of a mechanical device in a position of apparentrest in relation-Y-to' an observation post incorporated "with thecontrol ofa' turning device so that the operation of the'turning devicecan'be effected with certainty, notwithstanding the continuous movementof'the cigarettes.

In the preferred form the mechanical device comprises a" frame havinganaperture therein through which the cigarettes are observed andan'operating appliance in'the frame'forenabling the turning of any desiredcigarette seen through the aperture, said frame b eingladaptedQto moveforward simultaneously with'thecigarettes and to return after a certainmovement to "its original position. Y j

The appended drawings show by way' of examplea constructional form ofthe invention and Fig. 1 isafdiagrammatic sideview ofthe device.

Fig: 2zis a plan of the righthand part of F ig; his a section through 1on the line A B. v I

Fig.4 is a. side, view of one part taken to be packed are conveyed theexamples shown, consists of-a chain moving at a uniform speed. The links10 of this chain are held together. by pins 11. 4

The links10 are provided with grooves 12, in" which the cigarettes 13'lie in an oblique position. The-grooves 12 have raised edges indicatedby 14,-Fig;i1, against which the cigarettes rest. Atsuitableplacesfalong the line of travel one. or 'morenstops 15 areplaced, these being vertically movable .up

and" down in guides 16, and so placedthat tent ofeight cigarettes.

when'in' the upward position they engage the cigarette as it movesalong,straightening. it and giving it a turn of 180.

Above the conveying'device 10, 11 for; the

cigarettes 13 a frame26 is provided, this frame being movable to and froin thesame direction as the conveyor "device. Insthe middle of the frameis an aperture 26 through which a certain number of .cigarettesin theactual example eight, are visible. .The' frame moves forward at "thesame speedasthe cigarettes themselves. "For this purposethe chain is.best provided atjsu'itable intervals, that is tofsay at each eighthlink, with vertically movable pins (27.

These pins are controlled by f guides 28, 28 'insuch mannerthat when theframe 26 is required .to'start moving with the cigarettes,

as shown at the right -hand stop. 27 1,. they are raised upward.Theyth'en come up against the frame 26', and as they are held in theupward position, and move forward rettes' "through :its; aperture,whilst those lying further"; forward or, backs-on 'the conorig'inalapplication filed July 1', 1929, Serial No.;37 5 264, and in Germany May23, 19278.. ,Divided. and

with the chain, they carry thefframealong at the same speed. The frameconsequently shows always the same number of cigaveyor remain concealed.As soon as the stop 27 leaves the track28, and passes on to -the guidetrack28 it drops .into'tlie position. shown to the'left of Fig.'- 1thereby releasing. the fframe'26, which by .means of springs, or, asshown in the example illustrated, weights 29 attached to cords 3 1--run'ning on pulleys '30, can be. brought back into its. original position,where it comes up I against the next stop. 27 that has 'meanwliile beenraised into the workingposition. and is cigarettes 13, visible throughthe aperture in the frame'26, therefore remain withoutmomechanism hasmoved'forward tothe ex- On the frame 26' eight keys 83 are I placed andeach ofthese keys is adapted torelease the turning device. FQIitlllSpurpose the ready to carry it forward again. .The eight the positionsshown in Fi they pass by the free end of keys 33 are connected toelectric circuits 35 35 etc. which are closed by pressure on the keys.The wires 35 35 and so on are jointly connected to one pole of a battery36, the other pole of the battery being connected to a return wire. Eachof the wires 35 35 etc.'leads to a roller or rubbing con- .tact 37 madeof conductor material which is placed at the periphery of a revolvingdisc 36 driven by any form of power.

'There' are eight of these contacts working on the same axis and eachone of them contacts with a slip ring 38 on the periphery of the disc36.

lVithin the disc 36 are a number of electromagnets39, Fig. 3, in thepresent instance 24 altogether, that is to say three times as many asthe number of push keys. The number of electromagnets being three timesas large as the number of wires 35 35 and so on, the slip rings 38 aresubdivided into three parts disposed around: the periphery V of the disc36. Each one of the electromagnets 39 is connected by a conductor 40 toone of the eight slip rings 38. Two other discs, 41 and 42 arepermanently connected to disc 36. Disc 41, which is of smaller diameterthan 36 and'42, the latter preferably being equal, has on its peripherya coating of conductor material 43, connected by wires 44 with theadjacent ends of the magnet wind- .ings of all the electromagnets 39. Incontactwith the coating 43 is a roller or rubbing contact 45, connectedto the return Wire 35 of the electric circuit. v

In the disc 42 are longitudinally 'slidable magnet armatures 46 placedopposite to the electromagnets on disc 36, so that these armatures 46are likewise 24 in number. The armatures 46 are generally arranged in 3,so that as an elbow lever 48 connected to the stop 15 of the turningdevice they hold the lever in such a position that the stop 15 of theturning device does not project into the path of travel of thecigarettes. When, however, the circuit of one of the electromagnets 39is closed by pressing down the appropriate key 33, the respectivearmature 46 is attracted, so that on the subsequent passage of thearmature 46 the lever 48 is released and is moved by the action of aspring 50 into such aposition that the stop 15 is in the raised positioncausing it to comeup against the cigarettes 13 as 1t moves forward andto give it a turn .of 180. The speed of rotation of discs 36 and 42 isso calculated that the passage of the attracted armature 46, andconsequently the release of lever 48 shall occur at the momentinwhichtheparticular cigarettes 13,v the incorrect position of whichgave cause for pressing down the key 33 and thereby closing the circuit,has arrived in front of the stop 15 of the turning device,

so that in every case it is the right cigarette that is turned.

.For the purpose of effecting the return movement of the attractedarmature 40,

there is placed by the side of disc 42 an inclined surface 51 (Fig. 4)which has effect, as disc 42 continues to rotate, of pushing thearmatures 42 back into the position shown in Fig. 3.

The scope of the inventionis not limited ing an aperture therein throughwhich the cigarettes are observed; and on operating appliance in theframe for enabling the turning of any desired cigarette seen through theaperture, said frame being adapted to move with the cigarettes.

' 2. A device for enabling the turning of cigarettes right side up asthey are fed to a packing machine comprising a frame having an aperturetherein through which the cigarettes are observed; an operatingappliance in the frame for enabling the turning of any desired cigaretteseen through the aperture, said frame belng adapted to move with thecigarettes; a cigarette conveyor ing the frame forward simultaneouslywith the cigarettes.

3. A device for enabling the turning of cigarettes right side up as theyare fed to a packing machine comprising a frame having an aperturetherein through which the cigarettes are observed; an operatingappliance in the frame for enabling the turning of any desired cigaretteseen through the aperture, said frame being adapted to move with thecigarettes; a cigarette conveyor; a plurality of engaging pins formoving the frame forward simultaneously with the cigarettes; and meansfor releasing and returning the frame back to its original position.

4. A device for enabling the turning of cigarettes right side up as theyare fed to a packing machine comprising a frame having an aperturetherein through which the cigarettes are observed; an operatingappliance in the frame for enabling the. turning of any desiredcigarette seen through the aperture, said frame being adapted to movewith the cigarettes; a cigarette conveyor and a plurality of engagingpins for mov-.- 1'

adapted to be moved intermittently so that the cigarettes remainmotionless for ashort period to allow for observations; and a pluralityof engaging pins for moving the frame forward simultaneously with thecigarettes. V

v 5. An apparatus for enabling the turning of cigarettes right side upas they are conveyecl to a packing machine, comprising in combinationWith the conveyingmeans for continuously conveying the cigarettes anoperating appliance operatively connected with saidconveying means andadapted to control a turning device.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MARTIN BERGER.

